Bokros U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,477, entitled Anastomatic Couplings, discloses a polymeric material which is heated to 250-300.degree. F. and shrinks about a vascular graft to hold the graft on a prosthesis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,321 to Farrell discloses a hot air chamber to shrink tubing about a hose. Farrell discloses polyolefin as one material from which the heat-shrinkable material is made. U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,576 to Lupke et. al. discloses a heat-shrinkable sleeve made of a thermoplastic material having an unstable state. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,588,150 to Wold discloses a heat-shrinkable material. U.S. Pat. No. 2,027,962 to Currie and U.S. Pat. No. 3,086,242 to Cook et. al. disclose vinyl compounds and cross-link polymers as materials that can be used in heat-shrinking processes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,775 to Mattie et. al. discloses Polymer hoses which are heated and then cooled to effect the shrinking of the hose.
None of the related art, however, is directed toward heat-shrinking a nylon reinforced fire hose or a polyester reinforced fire hose or a combination nylon/polyester reinforced fire hose about a coupling or a shank.